Jump City, Oregon
Jump City is a major city in the continental United States, and the largest in Oregon. The reasoning behind the name has been lost to history; local Native American tribes claimed the Bay to be a jumping point to the spirit world and most scholars believe this to be the origin, while others claim that the name was a nickname (due to the amount of crime) that stuck. Logging was Jump City's first major industry, but by the late 19th century the city had become a commercial and shipbuilding center, however the Great Depression severely damaged the city's economy. Growth returned during and after World War II, due partially to local Mega-Corp, Starr Industries, which established Jump City as a center for defense contracting. The city developed as a technology center in the 1980s. The stream of new software, biotechnology, and internet companies led to an economic revival, which increased the city's population by 50,000 between 1990 and 2000. Jump CIty has a noteworthy musical history. From 1918 to 1951, there were nearly two dozen jazz nightclubs along Sombra Street in the current Chinatown/International District. Jump City is also the birthplace of goth rock legend Ianira Asmodeus and the rock music style known as "goth", which was made famous by local groups Ianira Asmodeus and the Devils, Tartarus, Tears of Blood, Children in Chains, and Briar Ash. In more recent years, Jump City has been known for punk rock and punk dance music. Jump City is home to the prestigious Gladius Institute, an Ivy-League equivalent shool of higher learning, which is known for its Scientific and Medical research. History Founding Archaeological excavations suggest that humans have inhabited the Jump City area for at least 4,000 years. By the time the first European settlers arrived in the area, the people (subsequently called the Awan-Melompat tribe) occupied at least seventeen villages in the areas around Chevalier Bay. The first European to visit the Jump City area was French Explore, M. Ambroise Chevalier. M. Chevalier was on an expedition for the Northwest Aeternus Company, a joint-stock company formed by Chevalier to exploit the fur trade in the Oregon Country. His intention was to establish a fishery at Fort Vigilance, and export salmon to the East and Hawaii. The island chosen (present day Downtown Jump City) was previously inhabited by Native Americans of the Awan-Melompat tribe. By the time Chevalier established his outpost, the island was almost completly void of any human habitation due to a strange epidemic of infectious disease that had swept through the region. Geography Jump City is surrounded by water on the North and Western sides, and by the Awan National Park on the South and Eastern. The City is built upon a series of hills with small streams webbing out from the forest to Chevalier Bay. The lush green forests and the numerous water bodies have provided livelihood for many hunting and gathering communities. The sea, rivers, forests, lakes, and fields surrounding Jump City were once rich enough to support one of the world's few sedentary hunter-gatherer societies. The surrounding area lends itself well to sailing, skiing, bicycling, camping, and hiking year-round. Districts Jump City has grown through a series of annexations of smaller neighboring communities. Jump City nearly doubled its land area by annexing six incorporated towns and areas of unincorporated Chevalier County. Boardwalk The Jump City Boardwalk is located along the Western shoreline, the Jump City Boardwalk is known for the amusement parks along the 2.51 mile boardwalk. Many of its most famous parks no longer exist, but the boardwalk still hosts Joyland, as well as the Jump City Aquarium. Downtown Downtown is the central business district of Jump City. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Chevalier Bay. Downtown is Jump City's main financial district, waterfront, and shopping area, which make up the bulk of Downtown. Downtown is filled with bars, nightclubs,lounges, drug dens, whorehouses and other bacchanalian locales the young of today love to frequent. Military District The Military District is home to two important locations. The first being Fort Vigilance; the second being the Gladius Institute. This District is popular with growing families. University District The University District (commonly, the U District) is a district of neighborhoods in Jump City, so named because the main campus of the Gladius Institute is located there. The district of neighborhoods grew with the university to become like a smaller version of urban American cities.Neighborhoods within the district include University Park, Greek Row, and University Heights. Chinatown-International District The Chinatown-International District of Jump City (also known by its component names or simply as the I.D.) is an ethnic enclave neighborhood and is the center of Jump City's Asian American community. The neighborhood is multiethnic, consisting mainly of people who are of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino ethnicity. There are also significant populations of people who are of Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Laotian, Cambodian, and Pacific Islander descent, as well as other communities. The "Rack" The Rack is an area of Jump City known for its clubs, bars, and other nightlife. It is Jump City's Red Light District. Drunks collapsed in the gutter and battered strung-out prostitutes are a common sight in the area. Be alert when traveling alone here as people will rob you or knife you in an alley. The Slums The Slums are a depressing area of Jump City that has fallen into disrepair. Most of the Slums is near lawless as police are afraid to venture to deep into the crime riddled streets. The Slums holds the position of the highest crime rate in the city. Uptown While its boundaries are not precise, the toponym usually refers to the shopping, office, and residential districts to the north and west of Jump City Center. Landmarks *Fort Vigilance *Elysium Art Gallery *Saint Louise de Marillac's Cathedral *Silver Bullet Tavern *Sinclair Opera House *Joyland Amusement Park *Awan National Park (While not in the city it is close enough to draw in tourists.) Culture 'Performing Arts' Jump City has many venues for any taste in Music, Theatre, and Dance. Jump City has had a long and successful relationship with Opera. Home to the Sinclair Opera House (located in the Uptown District), every few months they preform a new Opera written by a member of the prestigious Sinclair Family. The Caradoc Theatre preforms three times a year, always a tragedy. Media The only major News Paper in Jump City is the Jump City Informer (aka The Informer) which is regarded as one of the most non-bias news papers in the country. Several other smaller papers exist usually focusing on one or more central topics such as sports or military news. Many websites are based in Jump City. All major television networks have affiliates along with five other English channels, one Japanese and one in Spanish. KROW 88.7 is the city's classic rock station, while KONE 77.4 handles Pop, KWIE Indie Rock. KONE AM 32.2 is Talk (focusing on sports), KRIS 33.1 is a Conspiracy theory/Techno station managed by the communications students at the Gladius Institute, and KLAS 43.0 plays classical music. Tourism The Awan-Melompat caves are by far the most common tourist attraction. Many people visit Jump City in the Autumn to witness the Gehirn Film Festival which showcases indie Horror, Science Fiction, and Romance Films. The Festival is held in three parts with the Romance in September, the Horror in October and the Sci-Fi in November. Sports The Jump City Tsunami were the first profession sporting team in Jump City in 1917. Since then the sporting options in Jump City have grown. Goldbloom Field is home to the Tsunami, while The FloodDome is the playing ground for the Wolves and the Thunder. Outdoor Activities The Outdoor Activities around Jump City are nearly limitless, with the Pacific Ocean all kinds of water sports and beaches are available, while the explorer in you might prefer wandering the Awan-Melompat trails. Night Life The Rack is the premier area of Jump City for Night Life. Dance Clubs, Bars, Casinos, and much, much more. Succubi is a popular Gothic Club on the Rack that caters to the Goth scene. Demographics *White: 71.3% *Black or African-American: 8.0% *Native American: 0.9% *Asian: 13.2% *Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.4% *Some other race: 2.2% *Two or More races: 4.0% *Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 5.6% : : According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, English was by far the most commonly spoken language at home; approximately 74.9% of residents over the age of five spoke only English at home. Spanish was spoken by 2.5% of the population; people who spoke other Indo-European Languages made up 9.9% of the population. People who spoke Asian Languages at home made up 10.2% of the population. People who spoke other languages made up 2.5% of Jump City's population. Government and Politics Jump City is a charter City and is run by a Mayor-Council government. Jump City's nine city councilors have been elected at large, rather than by geographic subdivisions. The only other elected offices are the city attorney and Municipal Court judges. All city, county, and state offices are technically non-partisan. Like most parts of the United States, government and laws are also run by a series of ballot initiatives (where people can pass or reject laws), referendums (where people can approve or reject already passed legislation), and Propositions (where specific government agencies can propose new laws/tax increases directly to the people). Jump City's politics are strongly liberal/progressive, although there is a small libertarian movement within the metro area. It is one of the most liberal cities in the United States, with approximately 82% voting for the Democrat Party. Since 2006 the Mayor of Jump City has been Joseph Maxwell, a Progressive Reformist who has done wonders for Jump City mass transit and tourism. The Jump City Metro Police Department is renown for its vigilance in its fight against the crime that plagues the City. Crime & Punishment Crime has always been a problem in Jump City, since the 1860's the the gang of Bert Williams running rampant to the street gangs of today. Jump City has one of the highest murder rates in the county and the largest amount of missing persons. Education Jump City has an incredibly high number of college graduates (51% of people over 25) and about 89% graduate rate for high school. Several Colleges exist with the Gladius Institute being the most prevalent. Others include Jump City Community College and Bay University. Infrastructure Health Systems Gladius Institute is consistently ranked among the nations top leading institutions in medical research. Three of Jump City;s largest medical centers: Jump City General Hospital, Sacred Heart, and Northgate Hospital and Medical Center, are located in the military district, while the largest, Bayview Medical Center is located in the North District. Transportation The city has started moving away from the automobile and towards mass transit. In 2006, voters in Jump County passed proposition 9(Transit 4 All) which increased bus service hours on high ridership routes and paid for five Bus Rapid Transit lines called RabidRide. Utilities Water and electric power are municipal services, provided by Jump City Utilities and Jump City Light respectfully. Other utility companies serving Jump City include Chevalier Bay Energy (natural gas), Jump Steam Company (Steam), Waste Co. and Axis Waste (curbside recycling and solid waste removal), and Star Telecommunications (Telephone, Cable Television, and Internet) Category:Locations Category:Cities Category:World of Darkness